How does the angle the light makes (Ex. the angle of the sun’s rays) with the surface affect solar energy?
here the experiment
The inside of a shoe box was insulated using Styrofoam and a thermometer was placed through a hole inside the box. Two absorbing surfaces were made from aluminum foil. The upper surface of one sheet was painted black and the other left shiny. The following tests were then carried out.

A sheet of shiny aluminum was placed in the bottom of the box. The top of the box was covered with glass and the temperature of the air inside the box was recorded. The lamp was then turned on and the temperature was recorded after 3 minute.

The procedure was repeated, this time using the blackened aluminum as the absorbing surface. Three set of data were collected. One test was done with the glass cover, one without the glass cover and the third with a glass cover but at an angle of 45º.

The most efficient angle for transfer of solar energy is 90 degrees so there is minimal immediate loss of energy to reflection. The further away the angle of the incoming rays of light from a line perpendicular to the surface of the collector, the more reflection of the light there will be and the less energy will be collected (comparatively).

It takes a war for oil, sending our troops to die for oil, gas prices skyrocketing, proposing to drill and destroy Alaska (one of the most beautiful places in the U.S. who’s ecosystem is already suffering from warming due to using gas), global warming and middle eastern powers and terrorists having something we need from them….all these things we do for oil. Isn’t it time we wake up? We need to work harder to find alternative energy!

The oil money has bought the media that is backing Obama so that is why he will not drill and why his alternative energy cannot pan out.
If you want alternative energy which we need in order to be a free country vote for McCain.
Are you kidding McCain will drill and go for alternatives if for no other reason than what has been spent by the Arabs on this election for Obama
BTW Palin can see Russia and I wish you could too
Russia may be able to usurp Saudi Arabia’s role as a primary supplier to the U.S. market.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3251/is_/ai_n25049780
However we still need alternatives because we will soon be ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.
But Obama will not let us do that because his backers think America is a capitalist imperialist pig, they are hard core Islamic Arab Oil interests.

I know if the government really put every resource they had into alternative energy, it would become possible to commercialize this industry in as little as 10 years. But 2 decades of war in the Middle East have not encouraged this move, neither have terrorist attacks. Greenland already is moving away from oil as its primary source of energy, why can’t we? We have scientists and MBA’s that are just as brilliant. The only good news I’ve heard is that somewhere in the Midwest, I think it’s Colorado, the state returns some money to homes which use wind-powered energy instead of the traditional forms of energy (oil or electricity). Tax breaks on electric cars are not enough, because I haven’t seen that big of a change in our energy resources yet.

It shouldn’t be the government that does this. I am an Economics major, and spent a semester studying Environmental Economics. The solution can, will, and should come from the private sector. There are many companies out there researching alternate sources of energy, and when it becomes more economical to use these new advances in technology, the market will use them. Right now it is too cost prohibitive to use alternate forms of energy, but as other resources become more scarce, the price of them will go up, and we as a society will use alternate forms of energy, all without having to get the government involved.

Provides a full overview of the principle renewable energy sources: solar thermal, tidal, bioenergy, hydro, wind, geothermal, wave and photovoltaic. With the aid of 350 detailed illustrations, 50 data tables and using case studies, it examines environmental impact costs.

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The eGear 15 LED Collapsible Dynamo Lantern has a Case with 360 degree illumination and dual mode lighting: 9-LED and 15-LED. 4 Ways to power up: wind-up generator, rechargeable battery , 12V AC/DC vehicle cigarette lighter socket adaptor (included); 12V AC/DC wall socket adaptor (not included). Collapsible design functions as self-storage. Cell phone charger adaptor kit included. Winding Time Light Time Phone Talk Time 1 minute 8 – 10 minutes 3 minutes 12 – 15 minutes 3 minutes 5 minutes 15 – 20 minutes 5 minutes

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